After spending most of the day searching Rao Jin's old prison, the group decided to take a break. They had gone through the remaining records, searched the empty rooms, and questioned a few of the town's older residents, but none of it had brought them any closer to the truth. The missing page from the execution record still bothered Lin Chen. What had happened thirty years ago, and why was everyone so reluctant to talk about it?... They stopped at a small teahouse near the inn. Warm lanterns hung beneath the wooden roof, and the smell of freshly brewed tea and sweet pastries filled the room. A few customers sat by the windows, chatting over their drinks while the owner moved between the tables.
Yan Luo leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh. He rubbed his forehead, then glanced at the others as if hoping someone would finally give him a better answer. After spending the whole day searching dusty rooms and listening to the same excuses from the townspeople, he had almost run out of patience. He picked up his teacup and took a sip before speaking. "We've spent an entire day searching old records, crawling around a ruined prison, and listening to people pretend they know nothing. What have we actually gained?" "We've confirmed that someone removed a page from an important execution record." Lin Chen replied. He sat with his cup in one hand, looking as calm as ever.
Yan Luo slowly turned toward him. "Yes, I remember. We found out that the missing page is missing. What a great discovery." He spread his hands, his expression full of disbelief, then shook his head and took another sip of tea. Chen Yu gave him a flat look. "Would you rather we had found a hidden passage and been attacked by a thousand corpses?" Yan Luo paused, as if he were seriously considering the idea. Then he shrugged. "At least that would have been interesting." Chen Yu stared at him for a moment before pointing toward the door. "You're welcome to go back to the prison alone tonight. I'm sure you'll find something interesting there."
Yan Luo glanced toward the door, then quickly pulled his teacup closer and settled back into his chair. "No, thank you. I'd rather stay here and enjoy my tea." Qing Li laughed and rested an elbow on the table. "So you're brave enough to fight a thousand corpses, but not brave enough to spend one night in an empty prison?" Yan Luo raised an eyebrow. "I never said I was afraid of the prison." "Then go." "Why would I? The tea here is good." He lifted his cup as if that settled the matter.
Qing Li shook his head. "Of course. It has nothing to do with the fact that you'd rather not be alone in a place where five people died." Yan Luo opened his mouth to reply, but before he could say anything, Xu Yang spoke from the other end of the table. "Finally, someone has said something sensible." Everyone turned toward him. Xu Yang had been busy choosing another pastry and seemed completely uninterested in their argument. He picked up the pastry, took a small bite, and nodded to himself as if he had just made an important discovery. Lin Chen stared at him. "You haven't said anything useful about the investigation all day."
Xu Yang paused mid-chew and looked at him with genuine surprise. "That's not true." "What useful thing have you done?" Xu Yang swallowed, then held up the pastry. "I've been supporting the local economy." "By eating?" Lin Chen asked. "Exactly." Xu Yang leaned forward and pushed the plate a little closer to himself when Chen Yu reached for it. "Someone has to support this teahouse. I don't see any of you doing it properly." Chen Yu stopped with his hand hovering over the plate and looked at Xu Yang in disbelief. "You call eating half the pastries an important contribution?" "Of course. Do you want the owner to think nobody likes his food?" "The owner probably thinks you're trying to eat all his supplies."
Xu Yang glanced toward the counter, where the owner was busy preparing tea for another customer. He lowered his voice slightly. "Then it's a good thing he's too busy to notice." Chen Yu burst out laughing, nearly knocking his cup against the table. Qing Li covered his mouth with one hand, his shoulders shaking slightly.Wei Han silently moved the plate closer to Xu Yang.
Xu Yang glanced at him with approval before picking up another pastry. At last, someone who understands me.This group may still have hope... He took a bite.
Chen Yu reached for the teapot and poured himself another cup. "Can we enjoy one peaceful evening without talking about prisons, executions, or missing records?"
"That depends on whether Yan Luo can keep his mouth shut." Qing Li replied. Yan Luo turned toward him. "You could try following your own advice." Qing Li ignored him and took a sip of tea. He paused, then looked into his cup again. "This tea is surprisingly good." The owner happened to be passing their table and stopped when he heard the compliment. "I'm glad you like it. We use leaves from the mountains north of town. They're not easy to get, but the taste is worth the effort." Qing Li nodded and took another sip. "I might come back tomorrow evening."
Yan Luo just reached for a pastry. His hand stopped for a brief moment before he picked it up. "Tomorrow?" he asked. Qing Li glanced at him. "Yes. Why?" Yan Luo brushed a few crumbs from his fingers. "I was just wondering whether you're planning to come back for the tea or for someone who works here." Qing Li stared at him. "What are you talking about?" "Nothing. You just seem unusually interested in this place." "I'm interested in the tea." "I heard you the first time." Qing Li frowned. "Then why are you asking?" Yan Luo shrugged, looking completely relaxed. "Can't I ask a simple question?" "You can. But you could also learn to mind your own business."
Chen Yu lowered his cup to hide his smile. Even Wei Han glanced up from his tea. Yan Luo leaned back in his chair. "Years of practice, and you still haven't learned how to speak politely." Qing Li gave him an annoyed look. "Maybe because you make it so difficult." "You're welcome." Qing Li turned away with a quiet scoff. "I'd rather talk to the owner than listen to you." Yan Luo's smile faded for a brief moment, but he quickly picked up his cup again. "By all means. I'm sure he'll be delighted."
Xu Yang watched them over the edge of his cup. What's this about? Why does Yan Luo suddenly care where Qing Li drinks his tea?... Xu Yang glanced at Yan Luo again.He was now listening to Lin Chen talk about their plans for the next morning, but whenever Qing Li spoke, his attention seemed to drift back toward him. Maybe annoying Qing Li is just his favorite hobby... Some people collect weapons. Yan Luo collects reasons to irritate people... Xu Yang took another bite of pastry. Whatever is going on, it has nothing to do with me...i have more important matters to handle, such as finishing the pastries before Chen Yu discover how good they are...
Across the table, Lin Chen put away his notes. "We should return to the inn before it gets too late. If the weather stays clear, we can visit the eastern archive tomorrow." Chen Yu let his head fall back with a groan. "Another archive? How many old buildings does this town have?" Lin Chen gave him a calm look. "Enough to keep you busy." "I was hoping for something involving sleep." "You can sleep after we find the missing page." Yan Luo lifted his cup. "A wonderful plan. I already feel exhausted just listening to it."
Qing Li shook his head and reached for the last pastry on the plate. At the same moment, Yan Luo reached for it too. Their fingers nearly touched, and Yan Luo stopped with his hand hovering above the plate. Qing Li didn't notice. He picked up the pastry, turned toward Chen Yu, and placed it on his plate. "Here. You said earlier that you wanted to try this one." Chen Yu looked at the pastry, then at Qing Li. "You wanted it too." Qing Li waved him off. "I've already eaten enough." Yan Luo glanced at the nearly empty plate. "Four pieces." Qing Li turned toward him. "Why are you counting?" "Because you keep claiming you're only tasting things while eating half the plate." "That's called enjoying food." "That's called eating everything before the rest of us get a chance."
Xu Yang looked down at the plate. "For once, I agree with Yan Luo." Qing Li stared at him in disbelief. "You've eaten more than I have!" Xu Yang calmly brushed the crumbs from his sleeve. "I have no idea what you're talking about." "You have crumbs all over your clothes!" Xu Yang gave him look."Evidence can be misleading." Wei Han lowered his cup, and a faint smile crossed his face before he turned back to his tea. Meanwhile, Yan Luo withdrew his hand and picked up his teacup as if nothing had happened. He took a slow sip, keeping his expression relaxed. It's just a pastry. Why would I care who gets it?...
He glanced at Chen Yu, who was happily eating the pastry Qing Li had given him, then looked away. If I wanted one, I could have asked the owner for another plate... "You could have asked the owner for another pastry." Yan Luo said after a moment. Qing Li turned back toward him. "What?" "You wanted that one, didn't you?" "I gave it to Chen Yu because he wanted it." "I didn't say you shouldn't have." Qing Li narrowed his eyes. "Then why are you bringing it up again?" Yan Luo picked up another snack. "I'm not bringing anything up." "You're doing a very convincing impression of someone who is complaining." Yan Luo gave him a lazy smile. "And you're doing a very convincing impression of someone who talks too much."
Chen Yu quickly pushed his plate toward Qing Li. "Here. We can share it." Qing Li glanced at the pastry, then shook his head. "Keep it. I don't want it anymore." Chen Yu looked uncertain. "Are you sure?" "Yes." Yan Luo lowered his eyes to his cup. He picked up a different snack and took a bite. "You're all making a ridiculous fuss over one piece of pastry." Qing Li immediately turned toward him. "You're the one who started it." "And now I'm ending it." "Then stop talking."
For a few minutes, Yan Luo kept his attention on Lin Chen, who had started explaining which part of the eastern archive they should search first.Then Qing Li mentioned that the owner had recommended a different kind of tea for the following evening. Yan Luo's fingers tightened slightly around his cup. "Did he?" he asked. Qing Li looked at him suspiciously. "Yes. Is there a problem?" Yan Luo set his cup down and leaned forward a little. "No problem at all. Perhaps I'll come with you tomorrow. I'd like to try this famous tea myself."
Qing Li blinked. "You?" Yan Luo looked at him. "Do you see anyone else here?" Qing Li frowned. "You were complaining about this place earlier." "I complained about the prison, not the teahouse." "You complained about everything." Yan Luo gave a small shrug. "Not the tea." Qing Li studied him for a moment, clearly trying to work out what he was planning. "You just said you were staying because the tea was good." "Exactly." "Then why didn't you say you wanted to come back earlier?" Yan Luo shrugged again. "I only decided just now." Qing Li shook his head. "Do whatever you want. Just don't expect me to entertain you."
Yan Luo smiled and reached for his tea. "Don't worry. I'll find something to do."Qing li stared at him."Like counting how many pastries I eat?" Yan Luo nodded with smile. "If necessary." Qing Li let out an irritated breath, but Yan Luo only smiled and took another sip.Xu Yang lowered his head, hiding a small smile. Oh, this evening is getting interesting...
Qing Li and Chen Yu stayed behind to pay the bill while the others waited under a covered walkway nearby. As soon as the owner placed the bill on the table, Qing Li pushed it toward Chen Yu with a smile. "You should pay this time. You ordered most of the food." Chen Yu stared at him. "I ordered three dishes. You ate half of them." "I was helping you finish them." "I never asked you to help!" Chen Yu picked up the bill and looked at the total. "Look at this! Does the owner think we're feeding an entire family?"
Qing Li leaned over to take a look before sitting back. "That's because you kept ordering more." "Because you said the food wasn't enough!" "I said we could order more if you were still hungry." "And you immediately called the owner over!" Qing Li pressed his lips together, trying not to laugh. "You seemed to enjoy the food. I didn't want you to go hungry." Chen Yu looked at him in disbelief. This man could blame anyone for anything...He pushed the bill back toward Qing Li. "Fine. You pay." Qing Li pushed it back. "After you."
The owner watched them argue with an amused smile. Chen Yu noticed and lowered his voice. "Stop smiling at me like that. You're making it look as if we can't afford to pay." "Can you?" Qing Li asked innocently. Chen Yu turned to him at once. "Of course I can!" "Then what's the problem?" Qing Li folded his hands and waited. Chen Yu stared at him before letting out a sigh. "You're impossible." "And yet you keep eating with me." "Because you always order too much!" Qing Li finally laughed and picked up the bill. "All right, we'll split it."
Chen Yu narrowed his eyes. "You'd better not make me pay more than my share." "I would never do that." "That's exactly what someone planning to do it would say." Outside, the others waited under the covered walkway. Rain fell steadily from the roof, splashing onto the path. Xu Yang leaned against a wooden pillar with a small paper packet of pastries in his hands. Lin Chen glanced at the packet, then at him. "You bought more?" Xu Yang looked down at it. "The owner offered." "You asked him to pack them." "That's a small detail."
Nearby, Yan Luo folded his arms and looked toward the teahouse. "Are they paying the bill or negotiating a peace treaty?" "Probably arguing over who ate more," Xu Yang said. "If they take any longer, the owner might charge them for sitting there." Wei Han stood near the edge of the walkway, quietly watching the rain. "They'll be here soon." Yan Luo glanced at him. "You sound very sure." "I can still hear them arguing." Wei Han replied. Just then, Chen Yu's voice came from inside the teahouse. "I told you, I'm not paying for your extra dishes!" Qing Li's reply was too quiet to hear, but Chen Yu immediately began arguing again. Xu Yang shook his head. "At this rate, we'll have to go in and separate them."
Before anyone could answer, a raindrop landed on thepath just beyond the walkway and light flashed where it hit. Xu Yang's smile slowly disappeared. Another drop fell, then another. Soon, the rain falling from the roof had turned a clear.Everyone stared at it in silence. Yan Luo lowered his arms and leaned forward slightly. "Is it supposed to look like that?" Lin Chen stepped closer to the edge of the walkway. His expression grew serious as he watched the glowing drops fall. "No." Xu Yang tightened his grip on the packet of pastries.He looked up at the sky, but nothing seemed unusual. The clouds were still grey, and there was no strange light above them.
Inside the teahouse, Qing Li was still holding the bill when he noticed a blue drop fall onto the wooden step outside the open doorway. He stopped talking and stared at it. Chen Yu followed his gaze. "What are you looking at?" Qing Li didn't answer. He put the bill down and walked toward the door. Frowning, Chen Yu followed him. The moment they stepped outside, they saw the blue rain falling all around them. Chen Yu's eyes widened. "What is that?" He held out his hand, and a blue drop landed on his palm.
For a brief moment, it glowed against his skin before fading into ordinary water. He turned his hand over, checking it from every angle. "Qing Li." His voice had lost its earlier teasing tone. "You saw that, right?" Qing Li stood beside him, staring at the rain. "Yes." "Rain doesn't do this." "I know." Chen Yu looked up at the sky, then back at the ground, hoping to find some explanation. But there were no blue clouds, no strange lights, and no sudden change in the weather. The sky remained completely ordinary. Only the rain had changed color.
For several seconds, neither of them spoke. Then Qing Li turned toward the covered walkway. "We need to find the others." Chen Yu quickly followed him. "Wait! You're going to run through the rain?" "Do you have a better idea?" Qing Li called back. "Yes! We could find an umbrella!" Qing Li glanced over his shoulder. "And where do you suggest we find one right now?" Chen Yu opened his mouth, then closed it again.They hurried toward the inn, but the rain was already soaking their clothes and hair. By the time they reached the others, both were completely drenched.
Qing Li and Chen Yu hurried beneath the covered walkway, water dripping from their hair and clothes. Chen Yu pushed his wet hair away from his forehead and looked at the others. "Before anyone says anything, we didn't have time to find an umbrella." Yan Luo looked them up and down. "Did you two decide to take a bath on the way here?" "Ha...Ha..Very funny!" Chen Yu muttered, wringing water from his sleeve. Qing Li ignored him and turned to Lin Chen. "Have you noticed anything strange about the rain?" Lin Chen frowned. "What do you mean?" Chen Yu exchanged a quick glance with Qing Li. "The rain. It's blue."
For a moment, nobody said anything. Yan Luo looked past them toward the street, where ordinary raindrops fell from the roof. He turned back with a puzzled expression. "Are you sure you haven't swallowed too much tea?" "I'm serious!" Chen Yu held out his palm. "I saw a drop land on my hand. It was glowing blue." Qing Li nodded. "We both saw it. The sky looked completely normal, but the rain had changed color." Lin Chen stepped closer to the edge of the walkway and looked outside. The rain looked ordinary to him. He glanced back at the two men. "I don't see anything unusual." Chen Yu stared at him. "What? Look properly!" "I'm looking." "Then how can you not see it?" Yan Luo leaned around Lin Chen and examined the rain himself. "I don't see anything blue either."
Chen Yu looked from one face to another. "You can't be serious." Qing Li's smile faded as he looked at the rain again. "I saw it clearly. The drop glowed when it landed on Chen Yu's palm." Lin Chen frowned. "Maybe the light was playing tricks on you." "Both of us? At the exact same time?" Chen Yu asked. Wei Han studied them. "Are you sure you both saw the same thing?" Qing Li nodded."There was no mistaking it." Xu Yang glanced between them. "So you two saw blue rain, but the rest of us see ordinary rain?" "Exactly!" Chen Yu said. Xu Yang looked outside again. "That's strange." "Strange? That's all you have to say?" Chen Yu asked. "Would you prefer I panic?" Xu Yang replied. "I could try, if it would make you feel better." Chen Yu opened his mouth, then shut it again. "Forget it."
Lin Chen folded his arms, thinking over what they had said. "Did you feel anything when the rain touched you?" Qing Li shook his head. "No. It felt like ordinary water." Chen Yu rubbed his palm against his wet clothes. "The blue light disappeared almost as soon as the drop landed. I didn't feel anything strange." Su Yuan, who had been quietly listening, looked at them with a serious expression. "Did the light disappear before or after the water touched your skin?" Chen Yu paused, trying to remember. "After it landed. Why?" "Because if the light disappeared on contact, it might have reacted to you rather than the ground."
Qing Li glanced at his own hand. "You think it was reacting to us?" "I don't know," Su Yuan replied. "But we shouldn't rule it out." Wei Han nodded slightly. "We shouldn't assume it's harmless just because you didn't feel anything." Yan Luo frowned. "But we can't even see what they're talking about." "That doesn't mean they're lying," Wei Han said. "If both of them saw the same thing, we should take it seriously." Qing Li gave a small nod. "That's all we're asking." Lin Chen looked toward the street, his expression thoughtful. "Then we need to find out why only the two of you could see it. Until we understand what's happening, neither of you should touch the rain again."
Xu Yang shifted the paper packet of pastries in his hands. Another strange rain. Wonderful. And this time, apparently, only two people had received the invitation... He looked at Qing Li and Chen Yu. "Maybe you should both stay away from the rain for now." Chen Yu glanced at his soaked clothes. "A little late for that advice." "Then try not to get any wetter." "I'll do my best." Chen Yu replied dryly. Qing Li gave a quiet sigh and wiped the water from his face. "We should go inside and change first. We can discuss this properly afterward." Lin Chen nodded. "Go ahead. We'll wait here."
Yan Luo glanced at Lin Chen. "Do you think they really saw something?" Lin Chen looked at the rain. "I don't know, but they both described the same thing. We shouldn't ignore it." "Maybe they're playing a joke on us," Yan Luo suggested. Xu Yang shook his head. "Chen Yu looked far too upset to be joking." "That's true," Yan Luo admitted. "He'd usually complain a lot more." Xu Yang nodded. "Exactly." Lin Chen turned back toward the street. "We need to find out why only they could see it." Wei Han watched the rain quietly. "There may be more to this than we realize." Xu Yang glanced down at the paper packet in his hands. I really hope this isn't another strange effect that starts harmlessly and turns into a problem later...
Yan Luo watched the rain for a while before turning back to Lin Chen. "Do you think this has something to do with the strange events we've been investigating?" Lin Chen's expression grew serious. "It's possible. We shouldn't assume this is an isolated incident." Su Yuan glanced toward the empty street. "If Qing Li and Chen Yu were the only ones who saw the blue rain, then we need to understand why. It may not be the rain itself that's unusual, but how it affects certain people." Wei Han nodded slightly. "We should also consider whether something is causing it deliberately." Xu Yang lowered his gaze to the paper packet in his hands. "You mean someone could be targeting them?" "I said it's a possibility," Wei Han replied. "We don't have enough information to draw a conclusion." Xu Yang fell quiet.
Yan Luo watched the rain before turning to Lin Chen. "Do you think this is connected to the strange events we've been investigating?" Lin Chen kept his eyes on the street. "It might be. We shouldn't assume it's harmless just because we don't understand it." Su Yuan glanced at the empty road. "Qing Li and Chen Yu saw something the rest of us couldn't. There must be a reason." Wei Han nodded. "Until we find out what it is, we should be careful." Xu Yang looked down. I knew we shouldn't have stayed in this town... He was about to speak when footsteps echoed through the rain.
Lin Chen turned toward the sound. "Someone's coming." But the street was empty. Yan Luo reached for his weapon while Su Yuan searched the area with his senses. "There's no one here. I can't sense anyone either." Wei Han glanced toward a nearby alley. "Then where are those footsteps coming from?" Before anyone could answer, a faint voice came from the empty street."Help me."Lin Chen stepped forward. "Who are you? Where are you?" There was no reply. Yan Luo tightened his grip on his weapon. "If someone's there, show yourself." For a moment, only the rain answered. Then the voice came again, closer this time.
"Please... help me."